Storm Austen named as first named storm of the season

Storm Austen has been named as the first named storm of the season, the Met Office said in its WeatherReady winter partner toolkit¹. The naming comes ahead of the launch of the Met Office's Winter WeatherReady campaign on Thursday 22 October¹. STV News reported on 21 October that the first named storm of the season is forecast to bring gusts of 50-60mph to southern areas of the UK at the end of the week, with 70mph possible along exposed coasts².

The wind warning currently runs from midnight to midday on Friday, October 23, and covers most of south-west England and southern Wales, according to STV News. Parts of the south coast as far east as Brighton are also affected².

STV News meteorologist Sean Batty said the storm will track to the south of the UK, meaning the winds will be worst for Ireland, Wales, England and France. For Scotland, he said it will bring heavy rain, with some models suggesting up to 100mm in some spots, which could lead to flood issues, with the highest rainfall totals currently shown across southern, central and eastern Scotland. He added that while Scotland misses the worst of the winds from Austen, a separate system will bring strong winds there through the weekend, especially Saturday afternoon through to Sunday morning, with some models suggesting winds reaching 70-80mph in the Hebrides².

The Met Office toolkit sets out survey findings on household preparedness, conducted by YouGov in September 2026. It reports that 57% said summer forecasts, warnings and advice caused them to do something differently, 1 in 4 will take warnings and advice more seriously in future, and 29% are more likely to follow advice issued alongside weather warnings. It also reports that 1 in 5 are more likely to prepare for winter weather following the summer heat, and that only 13% say they are fully prepared for severe winter weather¹. Asked what they are most likely to do this winter, 41% said they will make sure they have essential supplies at home, 36% will put things away ahead of windy or stormy weather, 29% will check forecasts more regularly, 28% will prepare their car for winter and 27% will pay more attention to warnings and advice¹.

Why it matters for households

The wind warning applies from midnight to midday on Friday 23 October across south-west England, southern Wales and the south coast as far east as Brighton². In Scotland, the Met Office meteorologist's assessment points to heavy rain and possible flood issues, with a separate windy spell over the weekend². The Met Office's campaign material advises households to be prepared for the weather to change quickly and to keep checking the forecast on its app or website. On strong winds, it advises making sure things in the garden do not blow onto the road or railway tracks and cause an accident, and thinking about outdoor furniture and games. On flooding, it says it is never too late to take action and prepare for flooding, to know your flood risk and prepare a flood kit, and to consider things such as parking your car outside the flood zone. On cold and ice, it advises checking tyre pressure, screen wash, oil and coolant levels, and packing a winter car kit for long trips. On snow, it advises checking first for delays and road closures and packing a car kit if travel is necessary¹.

What happens next

The Met Office's Winter WeatherReady campaign launches on Thursday 22 October¹. The wind warning as reported runs from midnight to midday on Friday 23 October². Further detail on the warning's status has not been reported in these sources.

The Met Office's Storms, Snow and Ice: A Household Guide sets out household preparation for wind, snow and ice, and Named Storms: How the Met Office Chooses the Names explains how storms are named.